AHL attendance surpasses 7 million

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League surpassed 7 million in attendance for the 2004-05 season on Saturday night, an accomplishment never previously achieved in the league’s storied history.

Crowds for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia (8,260) and Game 2 of the Western Conference Final at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. (7,118) brought the season’s attendance total up to 7,010,221.

During the regular season, the AHL’s 28 teams played before 6,675,786 fans, an average of 5,960 per game. Both of those numbers represented single-season records, and marked an increase of 6.5 percent from the 2003-04 campaign.

AHL attendance figures, 1993-2005 (*through May 21)

Season

Games

Total Att.

Avg. Att.

*2004-05

1,189

7,010,221

5,896

2003-04

1,213

6,636,912

5,471

2002-03

1,201

6,707,422

5,585

2001-02

1,161

6,690,420

5,763

2000-01

870

4,710,501

5,414

1999-2000

830

4,659,831

5,614

1998-99

829

4,475,866

5,399

1997-98

788

4,439,386

5,634

1996-97

796

4,218,541

5,300

1995-96

794

3,756,921

4,732

1994-95

696

3,397,951

4,882

1993-94

698

2,994,364

4,290

In operation since 1936, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. Since attendance figures were first tracked in 1962, more than 116 million fans have attended AHL games throughout North America.